HB&B Blog — Sparkling wine
Natural Wine Killers: Truffle Cheese Pasta with Camillo Donati Ribelle Rosato 2020
Claire Bullen Italy Natural wine Natural Wine Killers Red wine Sparkling wine
I’ve come around on Valentine’s Day. February is short on festive feeling; why not take the opportunity to make a special occasion out of what would otherwise be another grey Wednesday? No matter whether you’re coupled-up, seeing friends or going solo – this year, set aside time to celebrate. Just don’t do it at a restaurant. Having dinner out on Valentine’s Day is like going out on New Year’s Eve: Overcrowded, overpriced and never as good as you hope. Instead, swerve the hassle with a vibey meal at home. Turn off the big light, put on a jazz album (I’ve got...
Wine & Food Killers: Burrata and Mortadella Sandwiches with Pistachio Pesto and Podere Pradarolo Indocilis Rosso 2020
Claire Bullen Italy Natural wine Natural Wine Killers Red wine Sparkling wine
Some of the very best things are simple. Sun on a winter morning after weeks of rain. A well-made cup of coffee, served at exactly the right temperature. Dinner with good friends. And a glass of well-made sparkling red wine, with all the richness of its hue and all the levity of high carbonation. Podere Pradarolo’s Indocilis Rosso is just such a wine. Hailing from near Parma in Emilia Romagna, this vino rosso frizzante looks almost like a kriek when it’s poured, glugging into the glass with a big souffle of pink foam before eventually settling down into hissing merriment. It is made from 100% Barbera...
Wine & Food Killers: Temaki Hand Rolls and Clot de les Soleres Garnatxa Rosato 2019
Claire Bullen Natural wine Natural Wine Killers Spain Sparkling wine
Pizza parties, taco parties, bagel-and-lox parties… If you ask me, there’s no better dinner (or brunch) party format than “food item you create and customise yourself from a spread of ingredients”. For the host, there’s the joy of simplicity, the release from pressure: Supply all the base components and let your guests take it from there. And for those attending, there’s the satisfaction in making something entirely your own, with only the ingredients you like most – no compromise needed. Beyond pizza and tacos, I’d like to enter one more dish into the do-it-yourself canon: the temaki hand roll. True...
Wine & Food Killers: Confit Salmon with Citrus Herb Salad and Camillo Donati Malvasia Secco Pet Nat 2018
Claire Bullen Italy Natural wine Natural Wine Killers Sparkling wine
This Thanksgiving, I roasted a chicken instead of a turkey. I reduced the myriad sides down to two dishes – crunchy, golden roast potatoes and green beans with shallots and pistachios. In lieu of the classic dessert spread, I made one single pumpkin pie for the two of us, which we shared over the course of days. And I was much happier for it. 2020 is forcing us to celebrate our holidays differently, to downsize and to cut back. There is much to mourn in that, much painful loss to try to digest. But there's a small culinary upside in...